Removing leaves, twigs and other residue from overhead gutters on the eaves of homes and other buildings has heretofore been a dangerous and time-consuming job. Homeowners have typically attempted to perform this task by standing on the upper end of a ladder or climbing on the roof and reaching down into the gutter, both of which are obviously quite risky. While the prior art includes a number of efforts to permit the user to clean out the gutters while standing on the ground, such as by using long poles equipped with cumbersome water delivery hoses and other devices, such prior contrivances have suffered from a number of drawbacks which have limited their commercial viability.
The present invention solves the problems and shortcomings of the prior art by providing a gutter cleaner that permits one person to safely, quickly and thoroughly inspect and clean a set of overhead gutters while conveniently standing on the ground out of harms way. In its broadest respects, the present invention includes a standard long pole, which may be telescopic and lockable in an infinite number of extended lengths, a mirror at the upper end of the pole to allow the user to inspect the condition of the gutter before, during and after cleaning operations, and a tool also located at the upper end of the pole for dislodging and removing materials from the inspected gutter. In one preferred form of the invention, the tool is provided with a downardly angled arm that can be inserted down into the gutter above its lip and then pushed or pulled along the length of the gutter, using the pole, so that a work component at the lower tip end of the arm can dislodge and remove the objectionable accumulation of materials. In one preferred embodiment, the work component comprises a scoop having a flat bottom and a squared off leading edge to effectively dislodge and lift the materials from the gutter. The side-to-side angle of the scoop relative to the arm can be adjusted so as to provide the most convenient and effective manipulation by the user, and the angle of incline of the arm plus the rotational position of the scoop about the longitudinal axis of the arm can also be adjusted to provide an infinite number of working positions for the scoop.
The arm can also be flipped over center through an arc of greater than 180° and locked in that position so as to adapt the tool for a scraping or pulling action using the pole, rather than a pushing or scooping action. The mirror may be conveniently adjusted about the axis of the pole into anyone of a number of selected positions to avoid interference between the mirror and the work component at the end of the arm.
Furthermore, in one preferred form, the working arm of the tool comprises a two-part assembly wherein one work component is housed within another and the outer component may be selectively removed to expose the inner component for use. Preferably, the inner component may comprise a pointed device such as a pick having a barb associated with its point, such pick being especially helpful in removing clogs at the opening from the gutter to the downspout. In a most preferred form, the outer component comprises a scoop, the handle of which is hollow so as to receive and contain the pick when the scoop is secured in place for use. Preferably, the major components of the tool can be molded from a suitable synthetic resinous material.